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Young supervisors dealing with broken pumps

WALSTON — Recently, the Young Township Board of Supervisors discussed what to do about replacing 12-year-old grinder pumps throughout the township that continue to break down.

Chairman Andrew Meterko said there is a grinder pump that goes down every time there's a function at one of the churches in the township. The sewer department/township is obligated to repair or replace the grinder pump due to an incentive to encourage residents to sign up for sewage in the township.

He said the reason that many of the pumps burn up is because people throw prohibited items into the sewage system.

The cost to rewire a pump is $200, and a complete replacement may cost as much as $1,000, Meterko said.

"Now that these pumps are 12 years old, we'll see more of them breaking down," he said, adding that the grinder pumps at the Adrian station have also been breaking down due to prohibited items being thrown into the system.

Secretary/Treasurer Mary Ann Redding said that at the beginning of each year, each sewer customer receives a list of items that are not permitted in the sewer system.

In other business:
• Supervisors discussed the planned purchase of a new dump truck sometime within the next few months.

Meterko said supervisors are still waiting for some more quotes to review before the March 14 meeting.

The township is looking to replace a 2005 dump truck.

Supervisor Joe Powell said he believes the township should sell the 2005 truck once a new one has been purchased and placed into service.

Meterko said the township shouldn't give the truck away, but keep it as a spare.

• Auditor Ron Canton said the annual municipal audit and financial report for 2011 was completed by the board of auditors.

Canton said the audit is complete, but not quite ready to be placed in the newspaper.

Redding said once the audit is published in the newspaper, the public will be permitted to look at the audit as long as they fill out a Right to Know form.

Also at Wednesday's meeting, supervisors:
• Approved a motion to participate in the CoStars salt contract for 2012-13.

Redding said last year's contract called for the township to purchase 250 tons of salt.

Jim Schepis of PennDOT said some townships are lowering tonnage for next year, Redding said, although Schepis advised against selling the township short, as next winter could be much more severe than this year's winter.

Meterko said the township's salt bin is completely full, and that the township must receive only 50 tons to fulfill this year's contract.

• Approved a motion to hire PennSafe Building Inspection Services, LLC, for the township's building inspection service and building code official.

PennSafe, which replaced Bureau Veritas, will assume duties March 1.
• Approved a motion to advertise a new holding tank ordinance No. 97.
Each member of the Jefferson County Sewage Association (JCSA) must adopt this state-required ordinance.

Redding said it will be easier to enforce the holding tank ordinance if Dave Redding, of JCSA, deals with the same ordinance for all members.

• Approved a motion to allow a wind turbine to generate electricity for Thomas P. McCullough of Snyder Hill Road.

• Approved the Jefferson County Tax Collection Invoice.

• Approved Resolution 2012-2 authorizing Berkheimer as the collector of Earned Income Tax (EIT), with the township-authorized representative to be Redding.